After closing its doors at the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, Royal Dinette left a void in downtown Vancouver which is only just now being replaced with a new venture.
The ground-floor space at 905 Dunsmuir St served as the home to Royal Dinette, the curious experiment launched in 2015 by the Donnelly Group (now Freehouse) and acclaimed Vancouver chef/restaurateur Dave Gunawan. Though Gunawan departed Royal Dinette before its tenure came to a rather unceremonious end, the restaurant ran for five years as the downstairs neighbour to the Blackbird Public House & Oyster bar, one of Donnelly's many pubs.
Recently, Vesper Lounge took up operations in place of Blackbird, as Freehouse has been busily selling off many of its old spaces.
As a companion to Vesper, the downstairs restaurant is now becoming home to Seraphina, described by operators on social media as "a modern European restaurant with [the] essence of the Pacific Northwest."
"Located in a chic yet charming lounge setting, it is a unique concept that artfully blends fine culinary arts with casual dining. We aim to redefine the modern social dining experience complete with incredible food, world-class service, and exceptional value," describes Seraphina on Instagram.
No opening date has been announced, but Seraphina is said to be "coming soon" to the space. The website indicates Seraphina could open as soon as sometime in July.
V.I.A. previously reached out to Vesper regarding the lounge and companion restaurant Seraphina and is awaiting the opportunity to get more information from operators.
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